East Meets West To Fix A/C

[700UW]

PIT Manager of the Engineering Support Center (ESC) Robert S. Kubicko recently wrote in with what he called, “A perfect example of cooperation between East and West that was beneficial to both.â€￾

A few weeks ago, West aircraft N837AW was struck by a cargo container in PHL. The cargo container was blown across the ramp during a thunderstorm and came to a stop when it ran into the plane. Due to the extent of the damage, the aircraft would not have been able to fly pressurized.

In order to ferry the aircraft back to PHX, the aircraft would have had to make a fuel stop. Therefore, the aircraft was going to be ferried to an outside maintenance vendor for structural repairs. That is when PHX maintenance suggested that the aircraft be ferried to PIT for repairs. PIT maintenance management agreed that PIT could accomplish the repairs. Rob explained, “In PIT, the ESC is a 24/7 area that provides support to all of maintenance. Our primary customers are line maintenance and planning, but we also assist base maintenance and anyone else who knows our number.â€￾

ESC acted as a coordinator for all activities between Airbus, maintenance and PHX liaison engineering, which is the West’s equivalent to the ESC. This included damage assessment, repair development, repair substantiation and repair accomplishment.

All work was accomplished by PIT Hangar 5 personnel. The paperwork was reviewed, approved, and signed by a West supervisor who was repositioned to PIT from Baltimore for this project. West liaison engineering stepped in to approve all engineering paperwork.

The aircraft was returned to service in only seven days, having undergone three "minor" repairs and two "major" repairs.

Rob said, “We pulled together to save a lot of money by not outsourcing and we quickly returned a damaged aircraft back to service.â€￾

 

[delldude]

and apparently under the IBT contract which is so much superior to the IAM piece of cow dung.....this aircraft that would have been vendored under IBT
was repaired in due time by IAM personell....where's AWA Contract?

methinks we have a grievance due to IBT outsourcing provisions.....AWA wheres the grievance to support a violation in your IBT contract??

 

[Awa Contract]

We just took advantage of the CHEAP LABOR

 

[SegmentKing]

but the aircraft would have been repaired by NON-HP mechanics.. so why not have it done "in house", sorta..

I mean, the US-east mechanics are quite good, I can't recall the last time a plane fell out of the sky due to maintenance on the east side..

 

[smmech]

and apparently under the IBT contract which is so much superior to the IAM piece of cow dung.....this aircraft that would have been vendored under IBT
was repaired in due time by IAM personell....where's AWA Contract?

methinks we have a grievance due to IBT outsourcing provisions.....AWA wheres the grievance to support a violation in your IBT contract??

First I would like to say that I completely respect the quality and skill involved in the timely repair of A/C 837. Furthermore I would agree that work like this bein done in house is allways better IMHO..

But dont let the facts get in your way... Regardless of where this work was done inhouse/vendor... No one gained employment of would have lost it..
The only reason we on the west did not greive this A/C was that that same weekend we had our own major repair going on.. a 3' x 4' flush repair on A/C 914.. During this 7 day span we also had a few structural road trips which dwindled our labor even more.. This does point out a fact that in both structures and composited the west side Is down in headcount, and the company refuses to backfill vacant positions because as a whole the cost unit is overstaffed..

Anouther fact is that similar in both contracts.. This A/C was damaged at a non-maintenace base.. So under both IBT/IAM contracts this work is allowed to be done by contract maintenance..

Dont get me wrong I would have loved to head out to Pitt to join in on the fun but we were knee deep in our own..

So thany you guys in Pitt for the excellent work..

 

[Awa Contract]

Having the east repair it was the only move that made sense, that why it is suprising the company did it that way.

 

[700UW]

We just took advantage of the CHEAP LABOR

The pay rates are just within 40 cents of each other I believe, so try again.

 

[awausairtech]

The pay rates are just within 40 cents of each other I believe, so try again.

One thing to look at, If a WEST tech under the IBT contract was to work the road trip he can make DOUBLE Time Pay plus the .40 cents more an hour he makes over the east tech.
Whats the max a IAM East Tech can make 1 1/2.

 

[smmech]

The pay rates are just within 40 cents of each other I believe, so try again.

Not sure that was a dig against IAM , as much one against the company...

 

[john john]

dwindled our labor even more.. This does point out a fact that in both structures and composited the west side Is down in headcount, and the company refuses to backfill vacant positions because as a whole the cost unit is overstaffed..

All the more reason to file a grievance

 

[700UW]

The ibt/HP cba permits HP to outsource the work.

 

[Awa Contract]

and your CBA allows more outsourcing than you had before so it looks like you are headed down the toilet

 

[700UW]

After two trips to bankrutpcy, three rounds of concessions and a contract abrogation, yet we still have more AMTs employed on the east side at just about the same wages as you and we still overhaul EVERY SINGLE A320 Family Aircraft, ALL the 737s and bringing in some the 757s.

Can you say the same?

But hey once again, it has been explained to you over and over and over, and yet it does not sink in, no wondey why HP has run all over the ibt and you have never negotiated any decent scope language.

 

[Awa Contract]

SAME CANNED RESPONSE FOR MONTHS ----

Try again or don't let the facts get in your way

 

[700UW]

It is not a canned response, it is the reality of what happened, maybe you need to take the time to educate yourself on the facts, instead of the CANNED response you post.

Considering you are not a US/East AMT, nor a US/East employee nor have you been through what the US/East employees have been through since 2002.

Guess the reality of the situation interferes with your personal agenda.